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Civil War Soldiers - Viele
| Viele, Egbert L., brigadier-general,
U.S. Army, was born at Waterford, N. Y., June 17, 1825. He was
graduated at the United States military academy June 17, 1847, when he
joined the army under Gen. Winfield Scott at the seat of war in
Mexico, and afterward served under Gen. Zachary Taylor. At the close
of the Mexican war he was assigned to duty with his regiment on the
Rio Grande, constructing a military road 125 miles long from Rio
Grande city to Laredo, Tex. He was assigned by Gen. Worth to the
command of a battalion of troops at the latter place and established
Fort Mcintosh, still an important frontier post. After serving four
years in campaigns against the Comanche Indians he resigned his
commission and entered civil life as an engineer. He was appointed
state engineer of New Jersey and conducted a geodetic survey of that
state as the basis of the geological survey, which is the most
thoroughly scientific work of the kind now extant, surpassing the
celebrated ordnance survey of England and the topographical surveys of
France and Austria. After having designed the original plan of the New
York Central park he was appointed engineer-in-chief of that important
work and subsequently designed the Prospect park of Brooklyn. On the
breaking out of the Civil war he was captain of engineers in the
well-known 7th N. Y. regiment and commanded a detachment of 300 men,
which, with the steamer Daylight, opened the passage of the Potomac
river to Washington, raised the Confederate blockade, and were the
first troops to reach the national capital by that route. Upon
arriving at Washington his command was met at the landing by President
Lincoln and personally thanked by him for their courage. Subsequently
he aided in the construction of Fort Runyon, the first fort erected by
the Federal troops in the war. Having without solicitation been
appointed brigadier-general of volunteers by President Lincoln, he
organized a camp of instruction at Scarsdale for New York troops; was
afterward assigned to duty with the expedition to the South Atlantic;
was second in command of the land forces at the capture of Port Royal
and chief in command at the investment and reduction of Fort Pulaski;
following which he proceeded to Washington and accompanied the
president, secretary of war and secretary of the treasury to Fortress
Monroe, Va., where he planned and led the advance on Norfolk, and on
its surrender became military governor, the arduous and responsible
duties of which were performed with such satisfaction to the
government that the secretary of war would not listen to his repeated
application to be relieved to take the field with his troops. When the
issue became certain and the final surrender of the Confederates a
mere question of months, Gen. Viele resigned his command and returned
to civil life, becoming one of the most active men in his profession,
more especially in sanitary and municipal improvements. As a member of
Congress from the city of New York he accomplished more in one term
than many others have accomplished in six terms. Among other things
the Harlem river improvement will be forever associated with his name.
Gen. Viele died on April 22, 1902. Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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